Let the games begin!
by Henry Uchiha
Summary: Sequel to: 'The Nightmare Child'. The roars for justice were deafening leaving the two parents no choice any longer with what to do. They had been threatened each with an ultimatum and now, The Doctor's own people were crying out for blood. Leaving only one option left. The ancient games of Gallifrey were returning and The Doctor's son may not be coming out of them alive. -Boyxboy-
1. Chapter 1

**So hi everyone, thanks for taking the time to read this story! This is a sequel and beginning of a bunch of short stories taking place after the prequel: The Nightmare Child. I hope you all like it as much as I enjoyed writing it! Warning: Scenes of boyxboy, violence, character death, swearing and some gore later on. Next chapter is where the action begins, this is mainly an introduction to the story, but important to understand what will be happening.**

* * *

In the furthest and most forgotten part of the galaxy there was a forgotten world except for those who knew of it's whereabouts. A hidden diamond of a place locked away among the stars and distance off-grid developing worlds. Still it was quite a shock to many who would come to the crimson meadows of the large planet. It's seasons always rivaled that of a Earth Summer and the world itself seemed to have been quite effected by that when the human culture hit the stars.

All species would come and gather in this dark corner sometimes and go exploring, many would miss it, but there was still the minute few who would only be the ones to find it.

All of them would travel for days, even after finally touching down on the other wise seemingly abandoned world. They would walk across the crimson plains of meadows, they would stare towards the great golden forests and the lakes of deep purple.

But as a man and woman walked together quietly, they were hushed in argument, having stepped out of what looked like a tall blue police box and were caught up in a heated argument. "You cannot expect normal behavior! She's just a bit spirited is all! Her time on Galifrey took it's toll on her! You know what those creatures did!" The woman was saying coldly.  
"She's not a she any more." The man sighed, closing the blood door of the police box behind him and rubbing his hand between his brows.  
"Since when!" The woman exclaimed.  
"Since she changed four hundred years ago! She went off the grid for a long time after her last plan went wrong."

The woman stepped into the light of the sun as she moved away from the golden leaf canvas of the forest trees. Her hair was a wild nest of curls around her head. Her eyes were a strange amalgamation of blue and grey, unable to really tell one from the other as the two tones blended together so well. She was still dressed from her last incursion with her husband which had been but an hour or so before... at least with one of her husbands that was. The same man but from a different time: he had looked so ridiculous with that fez when he had come to save her in the Tardis.

She pulled her coat tighter around herself and her hand itched towards her laser pistol which was holstered in her belt. Her jeans were comfortable and her boots sturdy. Her jumper and coat were stylish, showing off how beautiful she truly was.

Her husband truly didn't miss that either. His eyes sparkled and a smile played along his lips as he looked at her.

He though was still his ever so raggedy old self. A smart shirt buttoned up and held together at the collar with a bow tie. His over jacket caught in the light breeze and rose behind him. His strong chin and wisps of messy hair were swept over his dark ancient eyes. He looked tired, though joy was painted clearly through his face at being with his wife. "River-"  
"Don't you River me." She stated, raising an eyebrow. "We finally get our baby back and all of a sudden I hear reports from the shadow proclamation about a bounty being posted on our child's head!"  
"The Time Lords are still finding it impossible to trust the child." The Doctor said quietly, turning his eyes down sadly. "When they returned, they begun to try and take back control of the time lines. The first thing they wanted to do was find..." He trailed off quietly not wanting to say it as he saw that River Song had her hand resting on her gun, her eyes livid with anger.  
"Find what?" She stated.  
"The... _Abomination._ " The Doctor sighed, turning his gaze away from her. "The Nightmare Child."  
"They can try, but I'll wipe out their regenerations so fast that they won't be able to see me coming!" She snapped, storming ahead till they saw not far away by the deep violet lake a humble building stood by itself, out of place among the otherwise paradise world.  
"This was the last place I got a scan of before the Tarids started to freak out... you know what we have to do."  
"If it will help our child." River Song stated with a steely voice, not looking over but now forging a path directly for the cobblestone cottage. "Then I'll even play by your rules for a while." She smirked. "But for each scratch on my baby, one time lord will find themselves glowing like a star."

The Doctor gulped and pulled at the collar of his shirt, though he couldn't lie, he loved it when his wife got so protective of their child.

"It has to be done." He said eventually. "It's time the child learnt... otherwise they may turn out just like their god parent and I won't lose another person to that." He said quietly with a distant gaze which was both fond and sad. "Not another one."

 _ **-Break-**_

Both of who drew a sharp breath as they walked into the room and stared around at the vastly expensive and highly exquisite taste of both furniture, wall decoration and finesse of the overall atmosphere. They were amazed to look around and see the expensive vintage furniture. Red velvet couches lined the lobby where a desk stood with various mail plots for any of those who took up long term residency in the place. Leading off to the right was a flight of stairs to the various rooms and a corridor which led to the dinning rooms and kitchens.

A humanoid figure stood behind the desk and fixed both with a curious look. It was a young boy with short cropped hair, behind him a large pair of black feather wings fluttered slightly as he tilted his angelic looking face and placed his porcelain like hands on the desk which was full of various letters and pieces. His hair was as dark as his feathers and the boy himself was dressed in a black tunic. He had the looks of an ordinary human child, or body at least. Even though his skin was slightly paler than what was normal on Earth and his eyes instead of Iris and pupil, they were completely golden, like a sheet of colored glass.  
 _"Welcome travelers."_ A soft whisper of beauty echoed around River's and The Doctor's heads.

River rose an eyebrow but The Doctor only beamed. "Ah! A Siren guardian! It's been ages since I've ever got to see one up close!" He beamed. "Humanoid species with great ties to beauty! They have to use a telepathic message because their own vocal chords, can make no words!" He smiled over at River with the usual excitement he got whenever he had come across a species he found fascinating. "They can only sing with their vocal chords! But even then, they can't say words! They can only make songs, like humming or whistling! They use it to lure in other people from other species!" He shook his head smiling.

The boy was looking at him with a deadpan glare, making River chuckle. "I don't think he appreciates being studdied." She whispered gently and The Doctor turned looking slightly bewildered.  
"No! Of course not!" He clapped his hands together, smiling, trying to make the boy seem a bit more at ease, but the boy was on guard now. His wings kept flapping out wildly every now and then. "Anyway, yes! Down to business! Love business! Nothing ever like-"  
 _"Would you please get to the point."_ The boy's whisper like voice, bluntly cut through The Doctor, making River laugh under her breath.  
"I forgot. Since they spend most or time using telepathy, they're quite blunt when it comes to having conversations." The Doctor muttered slightly before pushing for one last smile, his mind already guarding itself naturally as he could almost feel a slight chill down his spine, a warning to himself whenever creatures tried to bond with his mind.  
 _"You... I can't read you."_ The boy's aura voice echoed and he shrugged. _"There is no more point to this conversation."_ He turned and got back on with sorting the mail out again, his wings pulling in against his back.

The Doctor's mouth was agape while River Song was trying hard not to laugh too much.

She gave a sly smile and the boy turned instantly towards her, tilting his head slightly. _"That way."_ He pointed out suddenly before busying himself once more with his work.  
"How did you-"  
"You talk to much sometimes sweetie. The boy appreciates answers and questions quickly." She leaned up slowly to whisper in his ear. "You're not the only one who has experience with aliens Sweetie." She kissed his cheek before walking off in the direction River Song set of in.

The boy however reached under the table slowly, waiting till the two had gone before pulling out a small silver square he had been given.

His thumb pushed down on it instantly and it began to glow with warning.

An alarm, alerting his master to the presence of what was expected.

 _ **-Break-**_

Both hadn't exactly been sure what to expect when they had come towards the room, but when they entered, they had to pause in appreciation for what they were greeted by.

Soft music played in the background while the two over took the scene of hanging candles against the wall which flickered with a warm glow, the ivory of a piano which was abandoned against the corner of the room. The carpet beneath their feet was a constant and never ending paradox of swirling crimson and black. Paintings lined the expensive wooden walls where ever there weren't artistic full length mirrors. But centered through it was most importantly... well to most of them in there at the moment at least, was the bar.

A sleek black marble supported up by mahogany boards, the surface of the marble casting a faint luminous blue light against the ceiling, not harshly but enough to create a relaxed mood among the others who threw themselves down into the various chairs around the room, taking bottles or glasses and sipping them generously as the alcohol eased the memories of their mission or their travels.

There was only one person who wasn't drinking, sat in the shadows of the corner away from the candle light and the holograph scenes which released pictures of latest planetary news, showing some areas of space where molten rocks blazed in an obliterated field of destruction.

Both husband and wife exchanged a look as they watched the shadow hidden figure slip a small glowing device from their hand into the pocket of the large cloak that they were wearing. "Family reunion time." River whispered, walking forward and confidently taking a seat at the table, locking her eyes onto the black velvet cloaked figure who was lent back in their seat, arms crossed over their slender body and their face hidden. No ounce of skin showed through on the figure's body. Their hands were clad with bandages which were expertly wrapped around their fingers individually and up to the figure's shoulder.

Their torso was wrapped in a tight vest which almost looked like armour. The material, like the tight jeans which were skinny fit around the figure's leg, resembled the texture of leather, but moving down the shoulders and along the waist, embedded were flows of energy which glowed venom green. An internal network of channels moving through the material to what? Distribute medicine? To work technology hidden away in the fabric? Both husband and wife weren't sure, but they were surprised when they saw the figure was wearing heavy and long length boots on their skinny and rather bony legs.

The boots were heavy and metal strapped, reaching the figures knee, with two laser pistol handles just barely visible out the top.

"They take after their mother." River grinned and watched the figure let out a wisp of breath which billowed out either side of their face like steam. "Sweet heart, let me see your face-"  
 _"Well look at that. Is it family dinner night already?"_ A cold mechanic voice chuckled.

Both finally saw it as the two glowing lens lit up and focused on them.

The last piece of the figure's outfit was their mask. A onyx black metal which was fitted specifically to the face. The area around the glowing emerald lenses was painted red, meant to look like the dark splatter almost of blood, though the red seemed to have faded and now was replaced with a scratched metal silver. The mouth was a barred line of teeth with a harsh canine resemblance. As the figure which was their son breathed out a dark smoke flowed from between the sides of the mask.

River and The Doctor exchanged a side glance from the corner of their eyes to each other. "I'm here." She said gently, offering her hand out slightly but watched only as the boy recoiled his hand back, like he had been branded by flames. This was their son regenerated?  
 _"Yes. Yes you are now it seems."_ The cold mechanic voice grated out harshly, the lenses flashed a brighter and more harsh green momentarily. The boy's fists curled tightly and the steam hissed a bit more harshly from the mask's fanged mouth.

River stared into those lenses for a long lasting moment, almost as though she could actually see the pair of eyes behind them. The eyes of the child that she hadn't seen since the baby had been taken and ripped out of her arms. She tried to remember what that child had looked like, anything which may have linked her towards knowing the child who was now sat in front of her. "How old are you now?" She asked gently.  
 _"Now, now mother. That's a bit personal isn't it?"_ A cold laughter soon followed after the boy had purred the words in that hidden tone. Those lens like eyes regarded both of them carefully. _"I'm four hundred and fifteen now."  
_ "You destroyed a cluster of planets." The Doctor said, frowning deeply as he tried to keep his voice calm.  
 _"I was trying to dodge a Dalek battle fleet."  
_ "You cause an solar flare explosion from the sun next to earth!"  
 _"Gave them some cool weather for a couple of weeks."_ The boy muttered. A thick smirk could be heard behind his words.  
"You started destroyed Arcan five!" The Doctor exclaimed.  
 _"They wrote bad poetry about me."_ The boy huffed. _"Those bastards had it coming."_

The boy paused for a moment, slowly leaning forward so the full dark metal of the mask came into sight, making both parents nearly flinch away. _"But then again, after what happened with my last regeneration, I had a reputation to fix. The humans, that earth, the people belonging to all those waste and pointless worlds! They should know my name! I am the most effective killing machine out there-"  
_ "You sound like a Dalek." The Doctor stated.

Suddenly the boy froze and River quickly pulled out her pistol pointing it under the table as her son already had one aimed between the Doctor's brows. His finger resting against the cold black trigger as the barrel of the gun was ready to burst in a second. "Put it down honey." River said gently, her voice almost like she was talking to a cornered animal.  
 _"Now this is turning out to be a better Family dinner night than I had intended!"_ A cold insane laughter burst out in a cackle from the mask.  
"Now Honey." River growled, slightly harsher, and watched the focus and brightness of the lenses scroll over to her.

Many of the others who had paused around the bar went back to their hushed and quiet whispering with each other as The Nightmare lowered his weapon and holstered it back in his boot. "How about we all calm down for a moment now." River said, making it sound more a statement than the idea of it being a request. Her eyes were wary and careful.  
"Where did you find all that?" The Doctor asked quietly.  
 _"I managed to salvage the clothes and the mask from my Tarids, before you stole it away from me."_ That low and soft whisper was tainted by the coldness of the voice box changer. _"The rest I crafted myself."_ Once again the smirk was easily clear on his voice.  
"I gave you that Tardis because I thought that you had changed." The Doctor whispered. "I thought that going out there, looking among the stars, I thought that seeing all the beauty the universe had to offer you... I thought that may be enough to actually save you! You even had a companion! You had everything you could have ever wanted to be happy! We even found a home for you here! So far off the grid nobody would have ever found you." Now he was gritting his teeth slightly as he glared at his son. "But you didn't see the beauty. You just were lost in your own petulance. You was too lost in anger to truly see anything else!"  
 _"A hundred billion worlds out there. Thousands and billions of people who never got to suffer the same fate I did."_ The boy finally snapped.

River Song had fallen quiet now. Her eyes disbelieving what was in front of her but her mind harshly reminding her of her situation.

The Doctor shook his head slowly as finally he stood, towering over the boy. "I'm sorry Son... but I don't think you're even that any more. I only see the child molded by the Daleks."

River's hand crept to her gun and her other to her belt as she watched the boy's cloak come further over his head, his breathing falling silent and the lenses dimming slightly.

"It has to be done. You have to learn your lesson." The Doctor stated. "I just can't believe how far it has to go for the lesson to be learnt."  
 _"Oh?"_ The Nightmare's voice was back to it's harsh and hidden smirk as the boy lent forward, resting his masked face into both of his bandage wrapped hands, his fingers lacing together to support his hidden face. _"And how exactly do you intent to do that?"_

 _CLICK_ _  
_

"Your reflexes are off." River said gently as sh looked now as the cuffs which deadlocked around her son's wrists. "They're deadlocked. Made from Dalekanium." She looked distastefully at them, horrified internally that she would have to see her own son in them, bound tightly within their grasp. "They will only be opened with the matching key, who has been given to someone else."  
 _"EXPLAIN!"_ The Nightmare snarled, his youthful teenage voice for the first time breaking just slightly above the sound of the mask's voice box. The lenses of the screen glowed brightly and dangerously.  
 _He even sounds like one of them._ The Doctor thought mournfully. "After you attacked the Shadow Proclomation-"  
 _"THOSE POMPOUS FOOLS!?"_ The boy bellowed. _"Cut this out and let me go before I-"_

He fell silent as River Song leveled her gun at him and charged it, ready to fire. "This is serious." She growled.  
"You have to listen now because I will have no memory of this, once you are gone!" The Doctor stated, leaning forward and placing both his hands on either side of the mask, wincing painfully as an small electric current fought through his body at the touch, but his resolve screamed for him to hold on just a bit longer as he looked imploringly to those lenses which covered the eyes of his son. "They have re opened the Death Zone on Gallifrey."

Silence filled between the three of them.

Then suddenly their Son headbutted his father, throwing out a scream and bellow of insults as he fought against the cuffs with all of his might. _"LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT NOW! THEY'RE GOING TO KILL ME! PLEASE!"_ The masked turned towards River Song and she had to stop herself for a moment. _"MOTHER! MOTHER!"_ The boy screamed, his mechanical voice full of blood pounding fear. _"LET ME GO! LET ME RUN NOW!"  
_ "It's no use son." The Doctor whispered. "They're already powered up the Time Scoop. You have to play out the games of Rasilon. You and your partner must get across the terrain together and destroy the others, you must survive the challenges of the game. If one of you dies, then the other will be executed automatically."  
 _"THIS IS INSANITY!"_ The boy screamed.  
"You have to pay for your crimes, both to the universe and to the Time Lords." The Doctor said, having to turn his gaze away as it became stone like and hard. "Your partner is a human-"  
 _"YOU DID THIS ON PURPOSE!"_ The Nightmare screamed, trying to grab for a weapon, anything he could use to strike his father down, but every time he did, the cuffs around his wrist just dug in deeper, or sent a vicious electric charge through the boy's skin.  
"I have known the boy since he was a eleven. His name is Tim. He knows me, and you must allow him to learn about you. You have to learn and pay for your crimes son."  
 _"AND IF I DIE?! WHAT THEN!? WHAT IF I DIE AND YOUR LITTLE PET IS KILLED!"  
_ "Upon the moment of your death he will be released from the Time Scoop and placed back into his own time and place. His safety keeps you alive." The Doctor stated as around the room he could already feel the build up of charge, escalating around them. The signal from the cuffs were screaming out. "Survive The Death Zone. Come back as our son-"  
 _"I'M NOT YOUR SON!"_ The boy spat the words viciously. Turning to gaze back at River Song. _"AND YOU'RE NOT MY MOTHER!"_ He bellowed.

His body was already outline with light as a pyramid shape of energy began to form around him, like a net about to capture him. _"If I come out of this alive Doctor."_ The way he said his father's name was disgusted and loathing. The blood lust evident already without the words having to be spoken. _"I'll kill you! I'll wash the ground will your blood!"_ The boy's outcries became a hysterical scream of murderous rage. _"I SWEAR DOCTOR! I WILL KILL YOU-"_

The boy's words died out in a scream as finally the net was cast and his body was frozen in an image of time, the frozen moment captures in the pyramid like shape spun and vanished through the air.

Leaving both Mother and Father to mourn quietly as the memories were being wiped from their minds and the events of that evening cleared from all who had witnessed it.

They may have just sent their own son to his death and they would never truly know.


	2. Chapter 2

**So hi everyone, hope you enjoyed the first chapter! Warning: Scenes of boyxboy, violence, character death, swearing and some gore later on.**

* * *

The darkness, the cold and merciless darkness. Being buried up to your neck in thick quicksand like mud. It was a life that Timothy Latimer was used to. Crawling through the marsh like land with meadows of barbed wire over his head. The idea of spending every night in a cramp underground space bunker was certainly something that wasn't different to him. Although he hated everything which went on around him, he knew that the war needed someone to help, he fought for his country, but he never rose a gun.

Even now at sixteen, he had not raised a gun, but only fought for a way for the peace to come back to the world. Of course many of those who had seen him in command would call him the coward, his suggestions for battles never resulted in the death of the enemy but only traps. Traps which meant that the enemy were often rebounded from them in battle, but all that people could focus on was that there just weren't enough dead people already.

Something which ate away at Timothy's heart as the boy would look out sadly across the battle field, dead body's hung in shreds across the fields waiting to be picked up. How long was this war going to go on for now? How many more years would it rage across the earth? Sometimes it felt like the war would never end, but Timothy still had to see it every day.

More bodies being buried out here, so far from home.

"War is old men talking and young men dying." He sighed, getting shoved aside as another soldiers glared at him viciously.  
"You wouldn't know, coward." The soldier snarled before carrying on.

Timothy steadied himself out turning his gaze down to the watch he always kept on his person, his thumb ran comfortingly over the surface of the metal, remembering a time which felt so long ago. A time when he was still at school and he had to defend his home from threats which he had originally never considered. But now, as he looked down at the watch he felt the same thing that he had done for the last on going weeks. The same gut feeling that he always had and learnt to recognize. _Soon._ It whispered to him. _A message. So very soon.  
But when. _His thoughts whispered back, but as hard as he tried, he could never get exact, only just feel the same headache he always got whenever he tried to use his... unique skill.

"Brace yourself boys!" A voice shouted, "We're in for a rough night! Batton down the hatches and go into your rabbit holes!" The soldiers barked to each other loudly and Timothy just closed his eyes again, so full of sadness and regret. How many more were going to die tonight? How many had to die, period, for this world to learn that killing each other wouldn't solve anything! "Don't worry coward." The same soldier called out. "Only real soldiers die in these trenches."

Timothy gritted his teeth and sighed, at least until the soldier chucked something at the back of his head and a blue envelop slid to the ground at his feet. "But even cowards get their letters from home."

Something coursed through Tommy as he looked at it.

Something flashed through his mind, an image of fire running through the stars, a flame so bright and so warm yet with a darkness to it. The flame was in the shape of a man, running across the vast space from star to star. His name burnt like the sun but was hidden among the stars. _Ice and fire._

He stared down at the watch for a moment before leaning down and picking up the envelope. Staring at it, he knew who it was from, he could just feel it inside of himself. It was as irrefutable as it was obvious to him. Just like all the other stuff that he 'guessed', he knew that this was from the man, the man who was brilliant. He was wonderful, ancient and forever.

But he just never would have thought that he would have seen him again.

The boy took his place on his bed and quickly pulled out the note, staring at it still with a slight disbelief but the words ran through him like wildfire.

 _Dear Timothy,_

 _An age has passed since we have last spoke and on my adventures I still remember that I would not have been here, if it had not been for the help of you and so many others who had aided me then I would not be here. But although to my greatest self I must ask of you help, you once did me a favour and kept me safe in a time I had to be hidden, you saw my life, but now it seems that the darkness and fire you saw inside my self has... passed on._

Timothy looked at the paper and saw just how heavily the pen had been pressed down, leaving a dent and a blotch of ink before it carried on.

 _I must now ask of you a favour again, a task in which I can ask no one else. I am sorry, so very sorry. But this time it is not me you must help, there is someone who needs to see a side of humanity which they haven't witnessed yet._

"Yes Doctor." Timothy whispered, though he frowned slightly. His respect for the man was in abundance but what could really worry The Doctor? What use could Timothy be to him? All he had seen of the man, all of those brilliant adventures... what could he do?

He turned his eyes back down to the paper at one sentence which was underlined.

 _Now don't think that! You're brilliant!_

Timothy smiled to himself, shaking his head slightly. That man. That impossible man!

 _It's not going to be easy and I'm afraid, just as dangerous as the last time. Good luck Timothy, I wish you the best of luck... and have patience._

"Eh up! There's something in the sky!"

Timothy looked up from the paper just as he noticed an object hurtling out of the sky, making directly for the trench he was in.

It was large, dark and hurtling towards them faster and faster. "It's heading right for us!" The soldiers screamed as they threw themselves back into their dig in.

Timothy began to back up before something large and dark enclosed around him.

The last thing he heard before the world melted away around him was the bellows of soldiers running.

 _ **-Break-**_

And that's how it had gone.

For so long it felt like he had been free falling, like for a second, a moment, an eternity he had been picked out and now he clattered harshly to the ground, finding himself in a roll he could barely stop. The ground was harsh and at first it was covered with sharp grass soon became stabs and impalement of small rocks which tore through his clothes and uniform as though it meant nothing.

When he finally came to a stop the world was still spinning around him and he hardly felt himself able to catch his breath. The air- the air itself was so dense in one second and so thin in the next! The ground and the temperature changed so violently that he found it hard to keep up with whether he was freezing cold or boiling hot.

His mind and instincts however took over immediately as he went to check himself over. His ankle hurt and stung violently, he must have twisted it on his fall. He would be able to walk on it, but he could already feel it beginning to swell up rather harshly in his boots. "Doctor." He groaned as he looked at his hands which were bleeding quite harshly. "Where am I now?"  
 _"You're kidding me."_

Timothy hesitated at first as a sudden cold sense rushed over him, while that cold and deep grating mechanical voice growled above him. He would have moved faster but while a hand grabbed around his collar, he felt his back arch and images burst through his mind, as it felt like for a minute, his gifted extra sense was a damn suddenly hit by a barging storm river and burst wide open. _"This is what they partner me with?! THIS!? At least you're a soldier. Something even your pathetic race couldn't get right half the time."_

Timothy's eyes rolled back slightly as the air rushed out of his lungs.

It was there in his mind, just like before except now there was nothing in his thoughts but an agonizingly painful burning of a blaze. A black shadowed figure stood in the heart of an inferno with eyes blacker than midnight in shadows. So dark, so cold, so full of pain. It was almost completely overwhelming. He had felt something like this before, a darkness inside The Doctor but not as deep as this. The Doctor had been wonder and brilliance as well as the darkness... but with this feeling inside him right now. Timothy had to stop himself from screaming out.

While the Doctor's essence had danced in the stars, with the joy and perils of adventure.

This one only drowned and screamed out as the universe stabbed it with fire and in that pain, it dragged everything down with it in fire.

But as he was pulling himself out of his daze and the grip loosened, Timothy felt for a second, just the tiniest of seconds.

A faint white screen be pulled over all of that pain.

Like a piece of paper being erased and then sketched on, over and over again.

 _"Wake up!"_ The mechanical voice snarled, pausing as it saw that Tommy was struggling to find his stance. _"So he was right. That's why it hurt me. The bastard somehow, mentally or physically connected us! YOUR GAMES! AREN'T! FUNNY!"_ The figure roared and Timothy finally got his first decent look at the figure as he was lowered back to the ground.

A figure, wrapped in a tight ink black trousers which hugged the skin like they themselves were another layer. Just like the midnight black shirt which was clamped over the boy's torso. At least, Timothy guessed it was a boy from the tones he could make out as well as what he had just felt. He might not have mastered his extra sense, and it might even be on a low scale, but he still found out some basics: _It's a boy._ He thought to himself. _And the boy is far from happy._

The boy's arms were bandages not daring to show a single ounce of skin which were wrapped around each finger and bound from hand to shoulder where glowing lines flowed along that black shirt, like fresh and venomous magma. The cloak however was one of the strangest things that the boy wore, it flowed out behind like an enormous trail, making him look incredible thin and small beneath it's covering hood.

But then Timothy locked his eyes onto the worst of it. The venom green glowing lenses on the horrific mask with the almost wolf like baring of teeth on the black metal where steam hissed out. Even now he could feel the resentment and the hatred rolling off the boy like he was sending out a flare at him. _"Already injured."_ The mechanical voice growled while steam hissed out. _"Fragile, pathetic."_

He was set down slowly and the figure settled themselves down next to him. Timothy had dealt with people like this when he had been in school. Bitter, twisted, angry other boys. Angry at the world for something, then taking it out on him or whoever else was weaker. But never, had he come across someone like this. With such an anger that was so intense. _"You're lucky that I'm still bristling with the change."_ The mechanical voice growled. _"Had you not arrived here for another hour, we would have been struck down dead already by the others."_

 _The figure lifted their bandaged hand as they began to rip away the leg and lower part of Timothy's trouser._

"W-What are you doing! Get off me!" The boy barked.  
 _"Listen here, kiddo."_ The figure paused for a minute and Timothy swore he almost heard the boy questioning himself slightly at the use of his own words. _"I have no time. I have to get us to cover before we're killed or worse, found out by them! Now shut up and bite, this might sting a bit."_ He waited for Timothy to open his mouth before The Nightmare wrapped the cloth around his jaw so the boy couldn't bite down on his own tongue.

After all, the bandages around his hands were already turning red with blood as well as he could feel his ankle swelling painfully in his boots. He might as well use the last of his regeneration energy to ease this pain off himself for now. _"Hold still and shut up- Good, seems you can do something right."_

Timothy found his patience growing, harder and harder to maintain the more that mechanical bark snarled at him. But he did as he said and bit down onto the cloth. _I still don't understand. Why would The Doctor send me here-AGHH._

He bit back a scream and arched his back as it felt like suddenly fire exploded through his leg. He could hear the other boy snarling in pain himself, and Timothy barely managed to catch the glint of an burning green light before the masked boy pulled his hand back and flexed his fingers, closing it into a tight fist and letting out a small sight. _"There."_ It stated, _"Now we will have to wait till we find shelter for me to have to deal with the rest of your wounds. Now do me a favour. Shut up and fall in line."  
_ "Listen." Timothy said calmly, "I don't know who you are, or what even your problem is, but-"

He fell silent as a pain banged against his head sharply.

The last thing he saw before falling unconscious was the shadow of the other boy as he rose to his feet, the boy's heavy knee high boots crunching against the shingle and gravel of the rocky floor beneath them. Dropping the rock he must have hit Timothy with. _"I told you. Shut up."_ He said. Timothy could hear the cold smirk behind the mask.  
"D-Damn it." He whispered quietly as everything went black.

 _ **-Break-**_

Timothy groaned as he felt himself waking up. His head screamed with pain where had been struck and his body ached with exhaustion, it felt like he had trekked across four trench fields in the space of half an hour. His vision was still swarming slightly and he found himself having to blink a couple of times, to try and bring some sense back to himself. He frowned, barely noticing he was bare as he sat up, wearing only a pair of shorts which kept him decent. But he was kind of glad in a way, it felt like he was sitting in the heart of an inferno.

His turned his head slowly but found that a vicious bark was thrown at him as the cloaked figure who was sitting next to him, quickly turned their back on him, making a grab for their mask. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you- wait hang on. You hit me in the head!" He frowned as the memory was coming back to him.

Wit a loud click he paused, watching as the figure pushed the mask against their face and it let out a large burst of steam, sealing itself against the skin and the lenses flaring back up, when it was finished. _"I had my reasons."_ The mechanical voice growled. _"And you did not startle me. I have made my vows, and I will not let one stupid human be the reason they are broken. You draw too much attention to yourself! Arriving like that! Falling down and hurting yourself within the first ten minutes you get here! If it hadn't been me here you would have been killed! Don't you get that you fool!"  
_ _So. This is what The Doctor meant._ Timothy gritted his teeth while he tried to push his thoughts back into his own mind. "Where am I? Who are you. For someone who seems so horrid, you seem to have a keen sense on keeping me safe-" He fell quiet as the figure let out a vicious snarl, moving from their crouch till the metal canine fangs of the mask were nearly barred at Timothy's throat.  
 _"You ask too many questions. Now shut up, and rest."_ The figure snapped.

So for a while, Timothy fell quiet, beginning to try and take more notice of where he was and trying to keep his gaze going back from that mask.

They were enclosed in a cave, full of stalagmites and stalactites. It was a decent enough height around them, but it was still just that, a cave... to be honest, it was still warmed and a lot more spacious than the bunker or trench back home had been. _"You got quite lucky didn't you."_ The figure purred coldly behind their mask, in somewhat of a voice which was bemused. _"You were pulled out of there at the exact moment the bomb was about to hit your trench."_

Timothy stared for a moment, still shocked, not understanding any part of this situation he was in. One moment he had been on earth, fighting in a war, about to be killed by a bomb hitting his trench. Now here he was, sat in a cave, watching as a cloaked boy wearing a mask, wearing clothes which were like something Timothy had only ever seen in his wildest dreams of a future where there was no war. And a mask, a mask that seemed to have eyes which glowed with green lightning.

But now the greatest part of confusion entered his mind. He had dealt with this before in his life, the night when the scarecrows walked, when he had seen the life of The Doctor, the memories of the man, all those aliens and worlds. But he didn't understand why a boy, who so far had only burnt, and knocked him unconscious, had bandaged his slit palms to stop the bleeding.

"You helped me." He said, frowning looking over at the boy, who now had fallen into silence. "You found me, apparently in front of others who are out to kill me. You knocked me unconscious. You fixed my ankle by the looks of it." Timothy stated, shaking his head as his dark brown hair came became a mess. In the firelight of the stone pit which the other boy had make, his skin looked pale, while his dark brown eyes were the paintings of confusion. But still he flexed his ankle experimentally, it was sore, but there was no pain to it. None that resembled the wound he had got earlier. "Now, again, as you made the point earlier, you could have left me out there, in what ever hell battle zone that was. But you brought me with you. Who are you and where am I?"

The boy stared at him for a long minute and Timothy felt the harsh glare burn into him from the gaze of those glowing Green lenses. He pulled the blankets tighter around himself which had been wrapped it and pulled his knees close to his chest. _"You're strong willed aren't you? You're not on earth any more. And a little tip. If you try and screw up my plans? Or try to leave this cave? Then you will be dead and in whatever after life you believe in, before you realize that I've ripped your throat out!"_

Timothy felt himself grow increasingly pale. He had never heard such certainty from a voice that cold before in his life. _"Good."_ The voice whispered. _"I guess you can call me... The Nightmare Child."_ There was a deep smirk behind the voice as the young sixteen year old soldier listened to the way that this strangely clothed boy, spoke with such a coldness. _"And you're in a war zone. I've been charged with keeping you safe. Until I fulfill my orders. We're stuck here. Now shut up and go to sleep."_

The cloaked boy repeated his earlier warning before pushing himself against a nearby wall and taking a seat, the harsh black and fanged mouth looked horrific. _From war zone into the next, except this time now my executor is looking me down in the eyes._ Timothy thought, but that didn't change the fact that as Timothy laid down he was already thinking of an escape plan.

But also, a small part of him was wondering: Why?

Why would The Doctor have sent him here, with someone so cold and dark.

The answer would come soon in the most unexpected of forms.


End file.
